Dear Friends,

Welcome to the 10th edition of #HumanitiesInContext with news of the Council’s grants, initiatives, and events as well as curated humanities content that is a springboard for reflection, learning, and action. Read on for stories of impact, humanities in action, and humanities happenings in Rhode Island. 

We will also be sharing some of our favorite stories and resources on the Council’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @rihumanities.
All my best,
Elizabeth Francis
Executive Director
and the Humanities Council Team
Your support helps ensure that all Rhode Islanders have access to and engage with the humanities, now, and in the future. Visit rihumanities.org/get-involved/donate or if you’d like to learn more contact Rachael Jeffers at rachael@rihumanities.org.
Stories of Impact:

The decision to move the Celebration of the Humanities to a virtual format was one that Council staff and board members considered deeply. How would the change impact our community? How would it change the feel of the event? Could we truly do our honorees justice in celebrating their impact through this new form? Barely a week after the event, the verdict is in and our 2020 Celebration of the Humanities has reached over 600 people in every corner of Rhode Island as well as folks across the country. Thank you for joining us and if you haven’t seen the show yet, click here to watch an hour of meaningful reflection and celebration of the power we all have to mobilize the humanities to meet this moment. 

A note to viewers: Fast forward to the 22 minute mark to skip the pre-show content and get right into the Celebration. And don't forget to check out the Digital Program Book!
Humanities in Action: a curated list of humanities resources for reflection, learning, and action.
To Read:

In this article from The Washington Post, Joe Heim reports on a new fellowship established by the White House Historical Association and American University’s Antiracist Research and Policy Center. Read more about the work being done by graduate student Mia Owens.
To Watch:

If you missed the EX LIBRIS talk with David Blight, author of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, you can now watch the full recorded talk here. This program was presented with Stages of Freedom, as part of their series "Frederick Douglass in Rhode Island" and funded by the RI Council for the Humanities, Providence Tourism, and the Herman H. Rose Civic, Cultural and Media Access Fund.
EX LIBRIS is a series of virtual programs produced by the Providence Athenæum. Featuring an array of humanities scholars, authors, historians, and thought leaders, these short conversations illuminate fascinating topics and inspire the intellectually curious.
To Listen:

Listen to this podcast from Inside Social Innovation with the Stanford Social Innovation Review in conversation with Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change. Recorded in 2018, this 35-minute conversation with Robinson speaks to “the nature of political and cultural power and the importance of continually assessing the nonprofit sector’s efforts to bring about change.” Listen here.
#HumanitiesHappenings: Upcoming Events & Opportunities
There are a lot of humanities going on! We encourage you to check out the Council’s calendar for more details. The events we’ve highlighted below are just a few of the many offerings by Council grantees and partners.
Now through November 14: Little Compton Women’s History Project
The LCHS invites you to explore their Women’s History Project, a free indoor and outdoor exhibit suitable for the whole family which is supported by a major grant from the Humanities Council. Open for small groups of up to 15 people for private, self-guided tours of the exhibits. These 90-minute appointments are offered free of charge through November 14th.
Register for a free Archiving 101 Workshop held via Zoom from 12:00 - 1:30 pm hosted by the Rhode Island State Archives in partnership with the Humanities Council. This is the first of two workshops on documenting the work on the centennial of the 19th Amendment over the past year. The workshop could also help expand your organization’s capacity for documenting and telling your story as well as for future partnerships.
November 2nd marks the start of the Humanities Council’s new cycle of grant funding for 2020-2021. For an overview of the Council’s grantmaking program, including information about the annual Major Grant and quarterly Mini Grant cycles, please consult our Grant Guidelines. You can also watch videos of the recent Grant Information Workshop and Evaluation Workshop, now available on the Council’s website.
Join representatives from colleges, universities, state humanities councils, museums, and libraries for the first-ever virtual National Humanities Conference. Together, we will explore our collective work to deepen the public’s engagement with the humanities.
Featured speakers include: Capps lecture by Dr. Johnnetta Cole on November 6th, NEH Chair Jon Parrish Peede in conversation with Anthony Poore of New Hampshire Humanities on November 10th, and Jason Reynolds in conversation with Andrea Lewis of the Maryland Center for the Book & Maryland Humanities on November 13th. Registration is $100. All programming will take place in the afternoon and evening Eastern time to accommodate as many U.S. time zones as possible. Click here for more details and to register.
XIX: Shall Not Be Denied is a partnership initiative of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities and the Rhode Island Department of State. Due to the pandemic, Shall Not Be Denied will continue amplifying Rhode Island centennial events through March 2021 via the website shallnotbedenied.org and on Instagram @xixshallnotbedenied.
This list will be added to as the Humanities Council is made aware of resources available to the sector as we weather this storm together. Check back often.